Help Paying for Child Care

In Chittenden County, Child Care Resource partners with the State of Vermont to help families pay for child care expenses through the Child Care Financial Assistance program. Families qualify for this program based upon their family size and gross monthly income. Here is the sliding fee scale for financial assistance. Payments are made directly to the child care provider by the state. Click here to download and print out the Child Care Financial Assistance Application.

In addition to meeting certain income guidelines, families must have a reason to need child care in order to qualify for assistance. This is called a “service need”. Along with the application, you will need to provide additional forms or information to show that you have a qualified service need. You can request these forms from us or print them out from under your service need below. Here is a list of eligible service needs:

Employment

Any activity for which a primary caregiver receives compensation of at least minimum wage. To verify employment, 2 consecutive current paystubs from the last 30 days for each job you have must be submitted with applications. If employment has just begun or will be starting soon, your employer will need to fill out this Verification of Employmentform and you can send it in with the financial assistance application. You will still need to send in 2 consecutive paystubs as soon as you receive them. Weekly paystubs or bi-weekly paystubs are fine, but if you only get paid once a month, please contact us so we can request an extension for you. If your employer does not withhold taxes for you and you will pay those taxes yourself at the end of the year, follow the instructions for self-employment below.

Self-employment

Any business activity approved that nets a monthly income of at least $100. Complete a Self-Employment Business Plan form. If you have been self-employed for more than one year, enclose a complete copy of your most recent tax return. If you have been self-employed for less than one year, a Profit and Loss form will be required with the Business Plan.

In School or Training

Is any activity that is likely to lead to employment within 1 year of completion of the activity. Reach-Up activities are included. Volunteer work and Post-Baccalaureate education are not eligible activities. Complete a Training Plan Form, along with your course schedule including days and hours attending. If study time is needed, it may be granted at the rate of one hour per hour of class time. Upon completion of your classes, you will need to provide documentation of successfully completed coursework. (If you have a Bachelor’s Degree, you are ineligible for financial assistance under this service need.)

Reach Up

If you are eligible for Reach Up, ask your Reach Up case manager to submit an authorization for child care to your child care eligibility specialist at Child Care Resource.

Seeking Employment

Any activity recognized as necessary to obtain employment. This is limited to 3 months of child care in a 12 month period. If you are looking for work and receiving TANF, contact your Reach Up case manager. If you are looking for employment and NOT on TANF, submit a Work Search Plan Form. Contact us for one of these forms.

Special Health Need (Adult)

This Adult Special Health Needs form is for a parent or primary caregiver who is unable to provide adequate and necessary care and supervision to his/her children and maintain employment or training because of a medical condition. This must be documented by a Physician (MD), Nurse Practitioner (NP), Physician Assistant (PA) or state Licensed Psychologist. Submit this form along with your application for child care financial assistance.

Children’s Integrated Services (CIS) Service Needs:

Protective Services

Please discuss your need for child care with your Family Services social worker. Your social worker will let you know what information is required. You will only be able to use child care by a Specialized Child Care program.

Special Health Need (Child)

This Child With Special Health Needs form is for a child’s significant health or specialized developmental need as documented by a licensed physician and/or licensed psychologist or by the assessment determining eligibility for Special Education or Early Intervention Services that includes child care as part of the child’s development plan (IEP or IFSP). Request a Special Health Needs Supplemental Documentation form from the CIS Child Care Coordinator.

Family Support

Is a prevention and early intervention service. If your family is experiencing extreme short term stress in areas such as shelter, safety, emotional stability, substance abuse, and children’s behaviors. Family Support Child Care is designed to reduce stress for families and their children and promote positive child development. Child care subsidy may be authorized under this condition after a confidential application and risk assessment has been completed and reviewed. Please contact the CIS Child Care Coordinator at your local agency.

Additional Required Documentation:

Adoption:

If you are a parent with an adoption assistance agreement through the State of Vermont, you must enclose a copy of your adoption subsidy agreement with your application. You will need to verify your service need for child care, but your income may be waived if you have an adoption agreement with the State of Vermont.

Household Income:

Include verification of all other household income such as SSI, Social Security, Veteran’s Benefits, Unemployment Benefits, Worker’s Compensation, Interest Income, Stocks and Bonds, and Rental Income. Include a copy of your check or a letter from the agency from which you receive compensation, or other supporting required documentation.

Child Support Verification:

For each child, include a court order, or a 12-month payment history from the Office of Child Support. If the parents of the child are not together, and whomever is applying for child care financial assistance has custody and is not receiving any child support, they need to write a detailed letter stating that they are not receiving support and why they are not pursuing receiving it. The letter must include the absent parent’s full name and address.

Provider Reimbursement Rates

Statewide Reimbursement Rates for Child Care Financial Assistance are established by Vermont Department of Children and Families and are based upon the setting in which child care is provided, the program’s STARS (quality recognition) rating, the age of the child, and the number of hours the child is in child care daily. A pre-screening tool for eligibility and financial assistance rates is found on this State of Vermont Building Bright Futures page. Eligibility percentages for State assistance range from 10-100% and are based on your family’s gross monthly income and family size. Click here for the reimbursement rates for Approved Relative Child Care (ARCC) Providers. Providers must be relatives of the children and families that are qualified to receive child care financial assistance. Relatives are defined as: An individual who provides child care services that is 18 years of age or older; AND is the grandparent, great grandparents, sibling (if sibling lives in a separate residence), aunt, or uncle of the qualifying child.

Contact us if you would like us to send you an application for Child Care Financial Assistance (and live in Chittenden County, Vermont), or print out the application here Child Care Financial Assistance Application. If you have a question for one of our specialists, e-mail us.

Eligible Child Care Settings

In order to care for children eligible for child care financial assistance, child care providers must be either licensed, registered, or as an Approved Relative Child Care (ARCC) provider by the State of Vermont. For information on becoming an eligible child care provider, contact the Child Development Division, Licensing Unit toll-free (in Vermont) at 1-800-649-2642. If you are a family found eligible for child care financial assistance and would like an unregistered close family member (an individual who provides child care services that is 18 years of age or older; AND is the grandparent, great grandparent, sibling (if sibling lives in a separate residence), aunt, or uncle of the qualifying child) to care for your child, you may request an Approved Relative Child Care Provider (ARCC) Application from your case manager at Child Care Resource.

More detailed information about the Child Care Financial Assistance Program can be found by clicking here.

Need help finding the best care for your child? Call a Referral Specialist today! 802.863.3367